One component of window hardware which is necessary for mounting and operating casement type windows is an actuator which operates to pivot the window about its hinges from a retracted or closed position to an extended position generally at right angles to the window frame.
In general the window actuator comprises a housing or base member which is mounted on the window frame, a manually operable hand crank which rotates a worm supported in the housing and a wheel member which is driven by the worm to operate movement of an arm with an outer engagement portion at the end of the arm for sliding or running within a guide track mounted on the window.
Examples of devices of this type are shown in the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,913 (Winner) issued Sep. 8, 1998xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,308 (Anderson et al) issued Jun. 16, 1998xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,784 (Kuersten et al) issued Apr. 29, 1997xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,138 (Vetter) issued Jul. 2, 1996xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,813 (Vetter et al) issued Feb. 27, 1996xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,839 (Piltingsrud) issued Aug. 15, 1995xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,239 (Tucker et al) issued Oct. 8, 1991xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,086 (Nolte et al) issued Jul. 3, 1990 U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,679 (Aumercier) issued Aug. 7, 1990xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,075 (Tucker) issued Jun. 20, 1989xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,601 (Sandberg et al) issued Mar. 19, 1985xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,228 (Nelson) issued Dec. 15, 1981xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,622 (Dunsmoor) issued Nov. 24, 1981xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,276 (Peterson et al) issued Mar. 3, 1981xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,541 (Van Klompenburg et al) issued Dec. 30, 1980xe2x80x94U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,483 (Nadal) issued Jul. 26, 1977.
Also EP 297,419 (Mila Beslag A/S) and EP 419,687 (Mila Beslag A/S).
Another example is a product manufactured by Mila (identified above) in which the wheel does not directly carry the arm itself but instead operates a link which pushes on the arm with the inner end of the arm being pivotal on the housing.
While the above patents have led to commercial devices which are generally satisfactory, these have a number of points which could be improved and disadvantages which could be overcome.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved window actuator.
According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an window actuator for a casement window comprising:
an actuator housing having a generally channel shaped receptacle portion defined by a rear wall, a front wall generally parallel to the front wall, and two end walls spaced to form therebetween a hollow interior with an open top and a base plate extending from the rear wall beyond the open top for mounting on a window frame;
a worm housing connected to and extending outwardly from the front wall;
a worm mounted in the worm housing for rotation about an axis longitudinal of the worm housing with a gear portion of the worm projecting into the hollow interior;
a manually actuable crank attached to an outer end of the worm for driving rotation of the worm;
a rotatable wheel mounted within the hollow interior for rotation about an axis transverse to the front and rear walls such that a peripheral edge of the wheel engages the gear portion such that rotation of the worm causes rotation of the wheel about its axis;
an actuator arm extending from the actuator housing to an outer end carrying an operator abutment for engaging a slide track carried on the window, the actuator arm being arranged such that rotation of the wheel in one direction causes movement of the actuator arm from a retracted position lying alongside the actuator housing to an extended position projecting outwardly from the actuator housing for opening the window and rotation of the wheel in an opposed direction causes movement of the actuator arm from the extended position to the retracted position for closing the window;
a mounting pin for supporting the wheel extending between the front and rear walls across the hollow interior and extending through an opening in the wheel;
and an integral plastics bearing member for mounting the wheel on the pin for rotation of the wheel about a longitudinal axis of the pin including an annular sleeve portion projecting through the opening and having an inner surface surrounding the pin and an outer surface engaging the opening in the wheel, a planar plate portion lying between and in contact with one side surface of the wheel and one of the front and rear walls and a locating portion for engaging the wheel to prevent relative rotation between the wheel and the bearing member.
Preferably the locating portion comprises a pin extending from the plate portion into a hole in the wheel.
Preferably the sleeve portion extends to an end face standing slightly proud of the opposite side surface of the wheel.
Preferably the actuator arm has an inner end pivotally mounted on the actuator housing and wherein there is provided a pivotal link extending between the wheel and the arm for effecting pivotal movement of the arm relative to the actuator housing between the retracted and extended positions.
Preferably the wheel includes an actuating portion extending outwardly from the axis of the wheel with the portion being pivotally connected to the link and the link being pivotally connected to the arm at a position thereon spaced outwardly from the inner end of the arm.
Preferably the link is arranged to go overcenter when the arm is in a fully extended position and wherein there is provided a stop member on the housing for locating the link in the overcenter position such that forces on the window tending to move the window in a closing direction from the fully extended position are resisted by the stop member.
Preferably the stop member is provided on the rear wall and is arranged to engage the link at a position between the actuating portion of the wheel and the rear wall.
Preferably the pivotal connection between the actuating portion of the wheel and the link is moved in the retracted position to a location within the hollow interior and the link is arcuate.
Preferably the arm is pivoted on a tab portion at one end of the base plate.
Preferably the actuator housing includes a planar end face at right angles to the front and rear walls at a top of the front and rear walls defined by a flange having a flange portion projecting rearwardly from the rear wall and the base plate.
Preferably the flange includes a flange portion projecting forwardly from the front wall.
Preferably the flange includes a flange portion projecting outwardly from each of the end walls, each flange portion at the respective end wall including a screw hole therethrough.
Preferably the worm includes a plastics locator member thereon engaged into a female threaded opening at an outer end of the worm housing, the plastics locator member having a male locking thread thereon engaged into the female threaded opening to prevent the locator member from being removed as the worm rotates.
Preferably the plastics locator member includes at least two recesses in an outer face by which the plastics locator member is driven into the female threaded opening.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a window actuator for a casement window comprising:
an actuator housing having a generally channel shaped receptacle portion defined by a rear wall, a front wall generally parallel to the front wall, and two end walls spaced to form therebetween a hollow interior with an open top and a base plate extending from the rear wall beyond the open top for mounting on a window frame;
a worm housing connected to and extending outwardly from the front wall;
a worm mounted in the worm housing for rotation about an axis longitudinal of the worm housing with a gear portion of the worm projecting into the hollow interior;
a manually actuable crank attached to an outer end of the worm for driving rotation of the worm;
a rotatable wheel mounted within the hollow interior for rotation about an axis transverse to the front and rear walls such that a peripheral edge of the wheel engages the gear portion such that rotation of the worm causes rotation of the wheel about its axis;
an actuator arm extending from the actuator housing to an outer end carrying an operator abutment for engaging a slide track carried on the window, the actuator arm being arranged such that rotation of the wheel in one direction causes movement of the actuator arm from a retracted position lying alongside the actuator housing to an extended position projecting outwardly from the actuator housing for opening the window and rotation of the wheel in an opposed direction causes movement of the actuator arm from the extended position to the retracted position for closing the window;
wherein the wheel includes an actuating portion extending outwardly from the axis of the wheel with the portion being pivotally connected to the link and the link being pivotally connected to the arm at a position thereon spaced outwardly from the inner end of the arm;
wherein the link is arranged to go overcenter when the arm is in a fully extended position;
and wherein there is provided a stop member on the housing for locating the link in the overcenter position such that forces on the window tending to move the window in a closing direction from the fully extended position are resisted by the stop member.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a window actuator for a casement window comprising:
an actuator housing having a generally channel shaped receptacle portion defined by a rear wall, a front wall generally parallel to the front wall, and two end walls spaced to form therebetween a hollow interior with an open top and a base plate extending from the rear wall beyond the open top for mounting on a window frame;
a worm housing connected to and extending outwardly from the front wall;
a worm mounted in the worm housing for rotation about an axis longitudinal of the worm housing with a gear portion of the worm projecting into the hollow interior;
a manually actuable crank attached to an outer end of the worm for driving rotation of the worm;
a rotatable wheel mounted within the hollow interior for rotation about an axis transverse to the front and rear walls such that a peripheral edge of the wheel engages the gear portion such that rotation of the worm causes rotation of the wheel about its axis;
an actuator arm extending from the actuator housing to an outer end carrying an operator abutment for engaging a slide track carried on the window, the actuator arm being arranged such that rotation of the wheel in one direction causes movement of the actuator arm from a retracted position lying alongside the actuator housing to an extended position projecting outwardly from the actuator housing for opening the window and rotation of the wheel in an opposed direction causes movement of the actuator arm from the extended position to the retracted position for closing the window;
wherein the actuator housing includes a planar end face at right angles to the front and rear walls at a top of the front and rear walls defined by a flange having a flange portion projecting rearwardly from the rear wall and the base plate.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a window actuator for a casement window comprising:
an actuator housing having a generally channel shaped receptacle portion defined by a rear wall, a front wall generally parallel to the front wall, and two end walls spaced to form therebetween a hollow interior with an open top and a base plate extending from the rear wall beyond the open top for mounting on a window frame;
a worm housing connected to and extending outwardly from the front wall;
a worm mounted in the worm housing for rotation about an axis longitudinal of the worm housing with a gear portion of the worm projecting into the hollow interior;
a manually actuable crank attached to an outer end of the worm for driving rotation of the worm;
a rotatable wheel mounted within the hollow interior for rotation about an axis transverse to the front and rear walls such that a peripheral edge of the wheel engages the gear portion such that rotation of the worm causes rotation of the wheel about its axis;
an actuator arm extending from the actuator housing to an outer end carrying an operator abutment for engaging a slide track carried on the window, the actuator arm being arranged such that rotation of the wheel in one direction causes movement of the actuator arm from a retracted position lying alongside the actuator housing to an extended position projecting outwardly from the actuator housing for opening the window and rotation of the wheel in an opposed direction causes movement of the actuator arm from the extended position to the retracted position for closing the window;
wherein the worm includes a plastics locator member thereon engaged into a female threaded opening at an outer end of the worm housing, the plastics locator member having a male locking thread thereon engaged into the female threaded opening with the male locking thread arranged to prevent the locator member from being removed as the worm rotates.